Scan a Barcode, and It Cooks... CU Brings Food Tech to Convenience Stores

Combines microwave, air fryer, and oven functions
Smart Cooker introduced for the first time in the convenience store industry
500 units to be installed first in areas with many single-person households and other locations
12 dedicated products to be launched

CU, the convenience store chain operated by BGF Retail, is stepping up its food tech efforts by introducing a cooking appliance that combines microwave, air fryer, and oven functions. The strategy is to improve the taste and quality of convenience store meals by automatically applying the cooking method suited to each food item when its barcode is scanned.

CU said on October 20 that it will introduce its next-generation cooking appliance, the Smart Cooker, on October 22, becoming the first in the convenience store industry to do so. Moving beyond a cooking environment centered on conventional microwaves, the appliance can cook a range of products, including frozen chicken, pizza, and bakery items, according to their specific characteristics.

The Smart Cooker recognizes a product's barcode and automatically applies a preset cooking method. It can heat food in a microwave or cook it using an air fryer or oven. It can also perform combined cooking processes, such as heating food in a microwave first and then finishing it in an oven. Customers do not need to set the cooking time and temperature for each product themselves.

About 1,000 cooking methods can be set. The methods can be continuously updated via Wi-Fi, allowing the appliance to accommodate new products. In an internal test conducted by CU, more than 90% of participating employees said food cooked in the Smart Cooker tasted better than food prepared using existing methods.

CU will initially install about 500 Smart Cookers, focusing on university areas, neighborhoods with concentrations of studio apartments, and officetels, where many people in their 20s and 30s and single-person households shop. It will also roll out 12 dedicated products optimized for the appliance in stages. The product lineup includes two types of pita bread, four types of pizza, and two types of chicken, as well as bakery items, pasta, and other chicken products.

CU plans to expand the number of stores equipped with Smart Cookers based on operating results and customer feedback.

"The introduction of the Smart Cooker is part of CU's food tech strategy and will take the gourmet experience of convenience store food to the next level," said Jin Young-ho, head of the merchandise and overseas business division at BGF Retail. "CU will continue to apply a range of the latest technologies so customers can enjoy convenience store products in the tastiest and most convenient way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.